Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has handed over the 174,000-cbm LNG carrier, Huashan, to compatriot Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation.
The LNG carrier was delivered on May 30, seven months ahead of the contract period, according to CSSC’s Hudong-Zhonghua.
Last month, the 295 meters long LNG carrier completed both its sea and gas trials in four and a half days, setting a record for the shortest trials of a large LNG carrier, the shipbuilder said.
Also, this is the second LNG carrier Hudong-Zhonghua delivered in half a month following the delivery of MOL’s 174,000-cbm, Greenergy Ocean, on May 15, setting a new record for the delivery of large LNG carriers in a single month for the shipbuilder.
Hudong-Zhonghua said this is part of the shipbuilder’s plans to double LNG carrier production capacity.
The shipbuilder previously said it plans to launch 11 ships and to complete 8 ships this year.
Last year, Hudong-Zhonghua delivered record six LNG carriers.
Cosco and PetroChina
This is the fifth LNG carrier Hudong-Zhonghua built for compatriot Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation and PetroChina.
It delivered the first and the second LNG carrier under the PCI project, Shaolin and Wu Dang, in 2022, the third carrier, Kun Lun, in March last year, and the fourth carrier and the first under the second phase of the project, Emei, in December last year.
Hudong-Zhonghua also launched the sixth carrier under the PCI project, and is building the seventh and eighth vessel as part of the third stage of the Cosco Shipping-PetroChina project.
United Liquefied Gas Shipping, a joint venture in which Cosco Shipping has an 81 percent stake and partner PetroChina holds the rest, ordered these last two LNG carriers in July 2023.
All of the eight vessels have WinGD X-DF dual-fuel engines and GTT’s NO96 L03+ containment system, and will serve PetroChina under charter deals.